An advanced healthcare directive - also known as a living will - is a legal document in which a person lists the specifics of medical care and comfort actions they desire, should the individual no longer be able to make decisions for themselves due to illness or incapacity.
Estate planning design and implementation is not only complex but can be highly emotional. Therefore, it’s important to have a basic understanding of the estate planning process, before approaching a professional.
A will and a living trust are both part of a comprehensive estate plan, that sometimes are inconsistent with one another. When there are conflicts, the trust takes precedence.
The main reason that people choose to have a living trust instead of a will, is that it avoids the probate system. Probate is the legal proceedings to decide whether a will is legal and binding. It also is the court session to decide where the property will go, if there is no will provided.
It took my husband Mike's heart attack to force us to recognize the need for having an estate plan. It was not smart. You are smarter than that. Create an estate plan today.
The reality of COVID-19 has forced many individuals to address the ‘what if’ scenarios that were previously unthinkable, or at least the situations that no one ever wants to talk about or deal with.
Lawmakers in Washington are making it easier for Americans struggling with the fallout from the coronavirus to draw on the trillions of dollars in their 401(k)s and other retirement accounts.
